MIRROR MIRROR

InformationFirst Aid ATM

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SeaGlassRestaurant

Wattis Webcast Studio

Kanbar Forum

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Café

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East Corridor

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The Plaza

T h e e m b a r c a d e r o

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Mirrors in Technology and ArtWith Sebastian Martin6:30–8:30 p.m.

The History of MirrorsWith Massimo Mazzotti8:30 p.m.

Bay Observatory Gallery and Terrace6 observing Landscapes

North Gallery5 outdoor Exhibits

East Gallery4 Living Systems

A Reflection on MirrorsWith Ron Hipschman7:00 and 9:00 p.m. Phyllis C. Wattis Webcast Studio

The Infinity BoxesBy Matt Elson6:00–10:00 p.m.

Through the Looking Glass With the Explainers6:30–9:30 p.m.

Light Boxes and Anamorphic MirrorsWith Explorables7:00–10:00 p.m.

Central Gallery3 Seeing & Listening

South Gallery2 Tinkering

Visible Spectres By Kerry Laitala6:00–10:00 p.m. | Black Box

West Gallery1 Human Phenomena

Kanbar Forum

The Mind’s MirrorWith Zarinah Agnew7:30 p.m. | Kanbar Forum

On Reflection9:00 p.m. | Kanbar ForumFeaturing:Contemplando la Ciudad Visions of a CitySuspended 2 Pier 15

A f T E R d A R KA f T E R d A R K

Cocktails are available all night at bars and in the SeaGlass Restaurant.

PRESENTATIONS

Mirrors in Technology and ArtWith Sebastian Martin6:30–8:30 p.m. | Bay Observatory Gallery

A Reflection on MirrorsWith Ron Hipschman7:00 and 9:00 p.m. Phyllis C. Wattis Webcast Studio

The Mind’s MirrorWith Zarinah Agnew7:30 p.m. | Kanbar Forum

The History of MirrorsWith Massimo Mazzotti8:30 p.m. | Bay Observatory Gallery

INSTALLATIONS

The Infinity BoxesBy Matt Elson6:00–10:00 p.m. | Central Gallery

Visible Spectres By Kerry Laitala6:00–10:00 p.m. | West Gallery, Black Box

SChEduLE

Teeny Tiny Thursday, November 5

discover some of the half million organisms that can live inside a single drop of seawater; turn your cell phone into a microscope; get to know the many microbes living in your gut; and consider our small place in the colossal universe.

uPCOmING

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6 : 0 0 — 1 0 : 0 0 P . m .

ACTIVITIES

Through the Looking Glass With the Explainers6:30–9:30 p.m. | Central Gallery

Light Boxes and Anamorphic MirrorsWith Explorables7:00–10:00 p.m. | Central Gallery

FILmS

On Reflection9:00 p.m. | Kanbar Forum

Contemplando la Ciudad (2005, 4 min.) by Angela Reginato

Visions of a City (1978, 8 min.) by Lawrence Jordan

Suspended 2 (2005, 5 min.) by Amy hicks

Pier 15 (2013, 4 min.) by michael Rudnick

Glow Thursday, december 3

Excite your atoms at this festival of ebullient lights and subtle glows celebrating the close of the year. Bask in the mesmerizing gleams of special artworks and installations, take a shine to illuminating films and exhibits, and show your sparkle with scintillating activities.

A f T E R d A R K

MiRRORS in TEcHnOLOGy And ARTWith Sebastian Martin6:30–8:30 p.m. | Bay Observatory Gallery Artists and scientists have long played with mirrors to change the path of light and, in turn, better understand the world around us. Join Exploratorium scientist Sebastian martin to explore a variety of new and historic instruments that use mirrors and reflection, such as a camera lucida, hyper-stereo viewers, sextants, and nephoscopes.

Sebastian Martin is a content developer for the Bay Observatory Gallery. he has a background in earth sciences and physics, and likes to create instruments to observe and better understand the environment.

A REfLEcTiOn On MiRRORSWith Ron Hipschman7:00 and 9:00 p.m. Phyllis C. Wattis Webcast Studio Why do you see yourself in reverse when you look in a mirror? Why are you not upside down? Exploratorium scientist Ron hipschman reveals the physics behind different types of mirrors and reflects on fascinating aspects of their construction and applications.

Ron Hipschman has worn many hats since he joined the Exploratorium in 1971, including creating its first website—among the first 600 in the world. he’s currently responsible for the museum’s web, streaming media, and digital asset-management servers. he also hosts the monthly programs Full-Spectrum Science and Everything matters: Tales from the Periodic Table.

PRESENTATIONS

how many mirrors have you passed by today? Once small, rare, and coveted, mirrors nowadays are commonplace and key to many modern tools, from hdTVs to space telescopes. As you walk through our hall of mirrors, you may see yourself, and the nature of reflections, in ways you’ve never considered before.

On REfLEcTiOn 9:00 p.m. | Kanbar Forum

Contemplando la Ciudad (2005, 4 min.), by Angela Reginato, follows the complex emotional changes seen in a young woman spending time alone.

Visions of a City (1978, 8 min.) was originally shot in 1957 and edited in 1978 by Lawrence Jordan. A man emerges from reflections on shop and car windows, bottles, mirrors, and more in this portrait of both San Francisco and celebrated local poet michael mcClure.

Suspended 2 (2005, 5 min.), by Amy hicks, presents a series of abstracted drives across the Bay Bridge evoking technical drawings and futuristic space travel. Pier 15 (2013, 4 min.) Artist-in-Residence michael Rudnick took the reflective walls of the Bay Observatory as inspiration in condensing the light rhythms and tempestual moods of Pier 15 during its early occupation by the Exploratorium in 2012.

F ILmS

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THE Mind’S MiRRORWith Zarinah Agnew7:30 p.m. | Kanbar Forum Why do you cry at the movies? Cringe when you see someone skin their knee? One popular explanation for these sensations is a subset of brain cells called mirror neurons. Some assert that these cells are among the most important findings in the last decade of neuroscience. Others claim that mirror neurons are the “most hyped concept in neuroscience.” So what's the truth? What are mirror neurons, and what do we know about them? do humans have them? Are they the neural basis of empathy? hear uCSF neuroscientist Zarinah Agnew explain—and debunk—the hype.

Zarinah Agnew is a neuroscientist at the university of California, San Francisco, studying how the brain processes perception and the production of complex, voluntary movements such as hand movements and articulatory movements such as speech and laughter.

Peer into the scientific and cultural history of one of humankind’s most influential and intimate technologies with our carefully curated collection of exhibits.

The Plaza

Anamorphic Bench

Crossroads

All Eyes on me

See yourself on the Inside

your Father’s Nose

West Gallery

hot Spot

Recollections

Self-Centered mirror

Self-Excluding mirror

Simply Smashing

Sketch mirror

Tearful Reflections

Central Gallery

Animation Tower

Anti-Gravity mirror

Aurora

Binocular Rivalry

Color Collage

Corner Reflector

Cylindrical mirror

duck into a Kaleidoscope

Everyone Is you and me

Giant mirror

mirror mirror

mirrorly a Window

Robot dance

Rotating Faces

Sun Painting

Through the Looking Glass

Touch the Spring

Visual Channels

Bay observatory Terrace

Camera Obscura

EXhIBITSTHE HiSTORy Of MiRRORSWith Massimo Mazzotti8:30 p.m. | Bay Observatory Gallery mirrors were once small, rare, and denoted symbols of wealth. Today they are so widespread we are mostly oblivious to their presence. And yet, these are among the most extraordinary artifacts we can encounter, their use spanning from household items to sophisticated scientific instruments. mirrors have been used to explore both the depths of the universe and the mystery of the self. discover the intriguing history of this technology and its intersections with magic, religion, and science.

Massimo Mazzotti is a historian and sociologist of science at the university of California, Berkeley, where he is director of the Center for Science, Technology, medicine & Society. his research explores the social and cultural dimension of science and technology.

The InfInITy BoxeSBy Matt Elson6:00–10:00 p.m. | Central Gallery Peer inside The Infinity Boxes to encounter dreamlike wonderlands of playfully altered perception. Appearing in elaborate, custom-built boxes adorned with abstract oil paintings, these artworks combine mirrors, light, color, and viewer interactions to produce seemingly limitless fields of reflections. The Infinity Boxes will remain on view during regular daytime hours through October 4.

Matt Elson is a pioneering and internationally award-winning computer graphics artist who has worked in the high end of 3–d computer graphics since 1982. In 2005, he returned to making fine art and is currently producing The Infinity Boxes.theinfinityboxes.com

VISIBle SpecTreSBy Kerry Laitala6:00–10:00 p.m. | West Gallery, Black Box Science, history, and art converge in this whimsical tribute to San Francisco’s 1915 World’s Fair. Lost landscapes from the Fair (including the Exploratorium’s former home, the Palace of Fine Arts) become the backdrop for spectral encounters. Are the spirits of fairgoers getting restless? Visible Spectres takes as its cue the illusion technique

INSTALLATIONS

ACTIVIT IES

known as “Pepper’s ghost,” used in theaters, haunted houses, sideshows, and magic tricks. do yOu see ghosts?

Kerry Laitala is an award-winning, moving-image artist who uses analog, digital, and hybrid forms to investigate the ways in which media influences past and present culture. her 2015 City Luminous series encompasses the realms of installation, multi-projector performance, photography, and single-channel film.kerrylaitala.net

THROuGH THE LOOKinG GLASS With the Explainers6:30–9:30 p.m. | Central Gallery Follow in Alice’s footsteps and walk through the looking glass. As you approach the flat, virtual mirror reflected in the Giant mirror exhibit, your face will distort and reassemble in Wonderland—upside down. you can even video the experience by holding a camera under your chin.

LiGHT BOxES And AnAMORpHic MiRRORSWith Explorables7:00–10:00 p.m. | Central Gallery Anamorphic mirrors: have you ever looked in a spoon and wondered why your face looks distorted? Explore the fascinating world of curved mirrors. Can you make a distorted image look normal?

Light Boxes: The wondrous cousin of the kaleidoscope, the light box uses curved mirrors to create patterns of lights and colors from your environment. See how this toy changes your perspective on the world around you.

Run by a highly skilled, dedicated team of volunteers, Explorables workshops mix classic activities with open-ended investigations, encouraging participants to follow their hunches to aha moments of scientific insight.